Rapid Reaction: Mets 3, Cards 2

ST. LOUIS -- Miracles do happen! And, cripes, we’re not talking about the Mets winning a stinking game.

Bartolo Colon’s leadoff double -- yes, a leadoff double -- in the sixth sparked a two-run inning that gave the Mets the lead. Colon also contributed eight strong innings as the Amazin’s beat the St. Louis Cardinals3-2 on a steamy Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium.

The Mets hung on for the win despite a rocky ninth by Jenrry Mejia that included surrendering a two-out run. Dana Eveland entered and retired lefty-hitting Matt Adams for the game's final out with the tying run at first base. Eveland produced his first save since 2005.

#40 SPNew York Mets

The Mets (32-40) snapped an eight-game road losing streak. After winless series at Chicago and San Francisco their last trip, the Mets avoided getting swept for a third straight road series.

Colon doubled down the third-base line on an 89 mph fastball from Lance Lynn and chugged into second, snapping a personal 0-for-43 drought. His last hit came with the Los Angeles Angels on June 10, 2005, at Shea Stadium against the Mets on a single off Mike DeJean. Colon produced the first extra-base hit of his career.

Colon comfortably scored the tying run when Eric Young Jr. followed with a double to the right-center gap. The Mets took a 2-1 lead when David Wright blooped a hit to right field that plated E.Y. Jr. He then was staked to a 3-1 lead on E.Y. Jr.’s seventh-inning RBI double against Seth Maness.

Colon’s only other run scored came on Aug. 9, 2002, with Montreal at Milwaukee.

At 41, he became the second-oldest pitcher in major league history to produce his first career extra-base hit, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Diomedes Olivo was 43 years old in 1962 when he got the first and only extra-base hit of his brief career.

Terry Collins, incidentally, placed Colon at No. 9 in the batting order Wednesday because of his hitting ineptitude. The Mets had batted the pitcher in the No. 8 slot for the only instances in franchise history the previous two games.

Not only did Colon double, he also had two sacrifice bunts in three trips to the plate.

On the mound, Colon limited St. Louis to one run on four hits in an 86-pitch effort spanning eight innings. He is 5-0 with a 1.66 ERA (8 ER, 43 1/3 IP) in his past six starts.

The lone damage against Colon came when he surrendered a leadoff homer to Matt Carpenter on the third pitch of the bottom of the first.

What’s next: The Mets head to Miami for a four-game series. In the 7:10 p.m. series opener Thursday, Zack Wheeler (2-7, 4.38 ERA) opposes Andrew Heaney in the left-hander’s major league debut.

Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
Follow Adam on Twitter »Chat archive »

TEAM RESOURCES

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Adam Rubin

Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.

Mark Simon

Mark Simon is ESPN Stats & Information's Baseball Research Specialist. One of several Mets historians working at ESPN, he joined the Worldwide Leader in 2002 after 6 1/2 years as a sports writer at the Trenton Times.